Chronicles of coaching American football in Italy (2008, 2009 & 2018), in Sweden (2010, 2016 & 2017), in Switzerland (2012), winning a Division III National Championship in France (2012-13), in Spain (2015 & 2016) and in Mexico (2017) as well as walking the Camino de Santiago in August-September of 2010.

About Me

I have been married to Laurie for over 46 years. Our oldest son, Andy, lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife Jenn and their son Kevin. Our youngest son Mike lives in Oxnard, California with his wife Vanessa and their kids Jacob and Mary. Although I retired from teaching in June of 2007, the 2015 football season marked my 45th year of coaching football at five high schools in Southern California's Ventura County - Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Rio Mesa, Buena and Newbury Park. In 2008, I opted to try something totally different in my coaching career and started coaching in Europe. My EuroBall stops have been in Catania, Sicily in 2008 & '09, Hässleholm, Sweden in 2010, Thun, Switzerland in 2012, Lyon, France in 2012-13 with the 12-0 National Champion Bron-Villeurbanne Falcons, Murcia, Spain in 2015, Rivas, Spain in 2016, Upplands-Väsby, Sweden in the Spring of 2016 & '17, in Mexico to coach the Europe Warriors in Aug. & Dec. 2017 and now in 2018 in Varese, Italy. Join me as I explore and chronicle my newest adventures coaching American football in Europe. My European touring also included a 500 mile Pilgrimage Walk on the Camino de Santiago in Spain in 2010.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

2012 Thun Tigers Senior Camp

Ueli and I left the Helvetica Bahnhof at 7:30 a.m. on Friday for the 30 minute drive to nearby Frutigen for the 2012 Thun Tiger Three Day/5 Practice Senior team camp.

DE Mischa Künzi's stylish roadster

Great to see it as we pulled into our Base Camp.

Home away from home

Our Base Camp was a four story hostel if you will, that houses and feeds various sports teams and scouting groups for camps similar to ours. They served us six great meals over the weekend.

Frutighus is nearing 40

Memories of camps past

Warming up on Friday morning

As you can already tell, our facility is in an Alpine meadow that has interesting sights and aromas.

Thankfully, we were finally outdoors practicing for the first time this season! Our only other outdoor experiences were the night scrimmage in Bern a few weeks ago and our scrimmage in Lugano last Sunday.

Cow Manure

Yes, that is a rather large pile of cow manure in the shadows waiting to make the meadows emerald green very soon.

After two good workouts with the Seniors, Ueli drove me back to Thun as I still had a third practice on Friday to work with . . .

The U-19 team indoors

Lots of good work accomplished at this session as well. I got back to Frutighus at about 11:30 and slept like the proverbial log.

Ueli talking to the team on Saturday

Urs von Känel

Urs, in the middle with the black hoodie, joined us for the first time at our camp to help with the receivers. He jumped right in and did an incredible job!

In this photo, he is having a very intense meeting with the receiving corps. They improved greatly both physically and mentally in the camp thanks to the coaching of Urs and Armin Haymoz.

Cow Manure Spreader

This contraption, operating just behind our West end zone area, really added to the whole Alpine meadow/Heidi ambiance to our second practice on Saturday.

We found out Saturday afternoon that it was finally official, this field next to Frutighus will be our home field for the 2012 season.

Let's take a look at the vistas that a Tiger fan will be forced to look at during a Tiger game in Frutigen this campaign.

The Alp to the North

The valley to the South

That is our game field in the foreground as seen from one of Frutighus' third story windows.

The Sun rising to the East

Finally, the vista to the West

What we may lake in terms of seating, we make up for with natural beauty, don't you think?

Sunday Kick Off

After four grueling sessions on Friday and Saturday, we cut it down to just a single practice on Sunday morning. Two excellent hours working exclusively on every conceivable phase of the Kicking Game.

So camp was over and the staff again saw lots of improvements. We are not there yet, but we continue to improve every time we practice. This is a great tribute to our players who continue to come to every work outs eager and ready to work hard and learn.

I am blessed to be able to work with a great group of coaches who are working very hard to make this a fantastic season.

And we have "The Beast Master" on our side.

In Sicily, we had a group of women who supported the Catania Elephants American football team and earned the nickname "The Pink Elephants."

After practice Sunday morning, we may have stumbled upon our first two "Pink Tigresses."

"Who loves the Tigers?"

"WE DO!!!"

2012 Thun Tiger Senior Camp Survivors

As with any event where people spend several days living, eating and working together, there were some very emotional moments at the Senior Camp.

Man Mountain Right Tackle

Mathias Krebs

He was overcome by emotion when he finally confirmed what we had all suspected for weeks, that he is indeed the father of . . .

Rookie Right Guard

Bruno Krebs

Bruno was equally happy saying that "This was the best news I've had since I found out about my new tuba!"

I plan to go to one of Bruno's music concerts this week, I am told he plays a very mean tuba indeed.

Defensive Back, Kicker and Punter

Klaus Rhyner

There was not a dry eye in the dining room at breakfast today when Klaus tearfully announced to the team that he would never drink alcohol again!

When this picture was taken, Klaus had now been alcohol free for over nine hours!!!